o
Ivanoff for reenforcements. Owing to some blunder the appeal never
reached the Russian chief, and Dmitrieff had to do the best he could.
Nothing now could save his small force from those grim lines of gaping
muzzles turned against his positions. The overture began on April 28,
1915, with an advance on the Upper Biala toward Gorlice, by Von
Mackensen's right. Here some minor attacks had been previously made,
and the gradually increasing pressure did not at first reveal the
intent or magnitude of the movement behind it. Meanwhile the German
troops about Ciezkovice and Senkova--respectively northwest and
southeast of Gorlice--were moving by night nearer to the battle line.
The Russian front line extended from Ciezkovice in a southeasterly
direction. Hence it soon became clear that Gorlice itself was to be
the main objective of the attack. A Russian official announcement of
May 2, 1915, boldly states:

"During the nights of April 30 to May 1 strong Austrian forces opened
an offensive in the region of Ciezkovice. Our fire forced the enemy to
intrench 600 paces in front of our trenches." Furthermore, the Germans
at the same time had directed artillery fire and bayonet attacks
against various points on the Rava, Pilica, Nida, and the Dunajec.
These, however, were merely movements aiming at diversion, meant to
mask the intentions of the main attack and to mislead the Russians. On
the evening of May 1, 1915, the German batteries began experimenting
against the Russian positions. This was kept up all night while the
engineers attempted to destroy the first line of the Russian wire
entanglements. During the same night the Austrians dragged several
heavy howitzers across the road from Gladyszow to Malastow, and got
them into position without the knowledge of the Russians. In the
morning of May 2, 1915, the great batteries began to roar against the
Russian line--a fire such as had perhaps never been witnessed before.
A spectator thus describes the scene: "In one part the whole area was
covered with shells till trenches and men were leveled out of
existence." It was reported that 700,000 shells had been fired in the
space of four hours, for which period this preliminary bombardment
lasted. The Russian line was turned into a spluttering chaos of earth,
stones, trees, and human bodies. The German and Austrian batteries
then proceeded to extend the range, and poured a hurricane of shells
behind the enemy's front line. This has the ef